Christopher Columbus should not be considered a hero because he took advantage of the generosity of the natives to achieve his greedy ambition. Although he is celebrated in the United States, Christopher Columbus should not be considered a hero. He takes advantage of the generosity of the Native Americans he finds. His greedy ambition has had horrific results that most Americans don't even realize. Christopher Columbus was born around 1451 in the Italian city of Genoa. He was the son of a wool merchant and spent most of his childhood working as a part-time weaver. (Zinn) During his teenage years, Columbus found employment on a merchant ship and remained primarily at sea until 1470, when French privateers attacked his ship. Unfortunately, the ship sank, but Columbus saved himself by floating to shore on a piece of wood and eventually made it to Lisbon. In Lisbon, Columbus took a break from the harsh and unpredictable life at sea and focused on the study of mathematics, astronomy, cartography and navigation. (History.com staff) He then married the daughter of a prominent Lisbon merchant, giving him many connections to the royal court. These humble beginnings and desperation to make something of himself lead Columbus to do unthinkable things just to feel important. After securing funding to take his fleet of ships in search of the Indies, Columbus spent weeks at sea. In early October 1492, Columbus' crew began to see flocks of birds, branches, and sticks floating in water, as well as many other earth signs. Rondrigo*** was the first to see land on October 12, 1492. (Manuel) Rodrigo was supposed to receive a reward from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella, but Columbus claimed to have seen a light the previous evening...... middle of paper ... I could not celebrate the actions of Columbus, ignoring the deaths of so many. Columbus is not a hero. Works Cited Barreiro, José. “The Taino.” Rethinking Columbus: The Next 500 Years. Ed. Bill Bigelow. Rethinking Schools, 1998. Web. February 19, 2014. Encyclopedia of American Indian History. Ed. Bruce E. Johansen and Barry M. Pritzker. Flight. 2. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2008. p466-468. From the staff of the Gale.History.com Virtual Reference Library. “Christopher Columbus.” History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. February 10, 2014. Memphis Library “The Dominican Republic Through Time.” Faces: People, Places and Cultures February 1999, 12. General OneFile. Internet. February 7, 2014.Rouse. “Hispaniola: the chiefdoms of the Caribbean in the era of Columbus.” Google Books. Np, and Web. February 18, 2014. Zinn, Howard, “A People’s History of the United States.” New York: Harper and Row Publishers, 1980